If you’re anything like me, you’re getting sick of these campaign ads. It really sucks when you’re trying to enjoy the local news, but all you get is more information on Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, or your local senate candidates. Don’t get me wrong, you should all be informed, and if you’re over 18, you should be out there voting! Sometimes, it seems like it’s a little too much, though. The campaign is even infiltrating its way into my RSS feed, shoving campaign related job search advice and tips down my throat so hard it makes me want to ignore it.

The fact of the matter is, however, that you can’t ignore it. It’s everywhere for a reason, and there’s a thing or two to be learned from all the campaigning that can be applied to your own life, and more specifically, your job search. Whether you’re voting Obama or Romney, there’s plenty of info from both sides that you can use to your advantage.

It’s Not a Job Search, It’s a Permanent Campaign was forwarded to me by a colleague here at D2D, and when I saw it, I groaned, not going to lie about that. But, she’d taken the time to mail it to me, so I figured I should at least take the time to read it, and I’m pretty glad that I did. With everyone jumping on the political campaign bandwagon and throwing as many articles as possible at you, somehow tying in the race for the presidential seat to your job search, interviews, social media presence, etc. it’s been kind of difficult to find the ones that actually convey some useful info!

Dorie Clark outlines a few things in her article about how to run your own personal job search campaign.

Ms. Clark says, “Many people don’t want to deal with the hassle of a ‘permanent career campaign.’ They think it’s too much work to contemplate their personal brand, maintain their social media footprint, or cultivate relationships when they’re not on the make for a new job. Those are the people who will lose.” And, she’s right.

Your job search is an ongoing, continuous thing, and you need to stay on top of it at all times. Even though it’s hard work, you’re the only one responsible for your job search campaign, and you’re the only one who can either win, or lose it.

Clark’s advice can be summed up in a few simple points:

Don’t be invisible. Make your online presence known. If it’s hard to find you online, your chances of being hired decrease drastically.

Make progress, don’t stagnate. Make yourself known online, create content by tweeting, blogging, and maintaining all of your social media accounts regularly.

Monitor yourself online, and watch what you and what others say about you on social media. Make sure that you keep your social media clean for potential employers looking for you.

Instead of getting annoyed every time you see a campaign ad on television, think about how it can be used to your advantage!